We use natural Markings Equal Inclusion of Exceptional Imperfection Ornamentation

"... Saddleback Leather no longer discriminates against any cow on the basis of age, appearance, lactose intolerance... if the beast has a natural marking or brand, or whether or not they worship the Divine Bovine."

Truth is, sometimes beauty is only skin deep... like with cows. Their poetry is notoriously terrible, but man, their hides are nature's art. We don't believe that flawlessness equals beauty. Beauty is when we're able to see something as it really is.

This is true with humans too. There are lots of quality people who are really beautiful not in spite of, but because of the marks life has given them.

I was living in Morelia, Michoacán teaching English back in 1999 when I decided to go by myself to the Dia de los Muertos festival in Patcuaro, about 30 minutes away. The place looks like an old rustic Mexican village out of the 1800’s placed in the rugged mountains of Oregon. Big tall pines and firs, a huge lake with a picturesque island in the middle. Just gorgeous.

So there I am at this festival, standing on the corner deciding which way to go when I see this friendly looking white guy with a big huge smile on his face. I took a few steps over to him, stuck my hand out and said, “Hi, I’m Dave.” He responded, “Hey, I’m Jimmy.” To make a long story longer, we really hit it off and became great friends. We even ended up hitchhiking all over Mexico together.

You see, you don’t need money, or even a wallet, to travel around, make lifelong friends and have real good times. You just need to decide to go and then go. But if you are going to own one, you may as well get one of these. It’s my personal favorite and doesn’t take up too much space, but it doesn’t work so well with British Pound notes.

Reviews:

The last wallet this minimalist will ever buy

by Lance A. - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:06 am

I've had this wallet now for a couple of years or so. All I ever want to carry around is my license, a couple insurance & credit cards, & occasionally a few dollar bills. That's all that will fit in this thing. From handling it & taking it in & out of my pocket, the leather has developed a great sheen. Any scuffs now just rub right out, although they do add character to the wallet too. I have great confidence that this wallet will easily outlast me & was a fantastic investment.

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Ruins magnetic strips

by Jason - verified purchaser | 7/25/2015 11:47 pm

I love SBL and have had this wallet for two years+. The wallet still looks great. The two negatives are 1.) You can't carry much cash with this wallet and 2.) The wallet is constantly destroying the magnetic strips of my credit card. I have to keep several cards in each slot in order to keep it tight so they don't all fall out, but then when I pull out my primary card (my debit card), it quickly wears the magnetic strip down from the friction with the card below. I just purchased the medium bifold in hopes that the problem will be solved. I've literally been through 3 debit cards this year because of this problem.

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Very satisfied

by Ola Hjalmarsson - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

Got my wallet a few weeks ago and it has lived up to my (quite high) expectations in every way. It perfectly suits my needs, and I expect it will continue to do so for as long as I have the need for a wallet. In addition, customer service was excellent! I will do my best to spread the word of your products to the rest of Scandinavia!

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A Perfect Wallet

by Sally - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

Bought this for my boyfriend about a month ago. Amazing quality, perfect design, and holds everything he needs and nothing that he doesn't. For the price, this wallet can't be beat!

Thank you so much Saddleback Leather!

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Great Basic Wallet!

by Charles - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

I've owned my ID wallet for over 2 years now and absolutely love it! It hasn't shown any signs of falling apart or weaknesses yet. I was a little worried when I ran it and my cash through a full wash cycle, but I just left it out to air dry and it was the exact same as before. Great products!

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A Perfect Pocket Companion

by J. Beal - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

I received my Tobacco Leather ID Wallet yesterday. All I can say is Wow! I have carried a back pocket bi-fold for many years and started having some hip and back pain. This wallet nicely fits everything I need without adding extra weight and bulk. As with all other Saddleback Leather products, craftsmanship, color and style are all perfect. Thanks SBL...you have a customer for life.

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Great front pocket wallet

by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

Love the quality and design of this product. Small enough to keep in your front pocket without adding bulk. The craftsmanship is outstanding. I was skeptical at first because of the money pocket but I dont think I will ever go back to a bifold. I will purchase more as gifts in the future.

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Love it!

by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

Well designed, well built, stylish, shipping was super fast. Quite pleased, would purchase from here again.

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My Son wanted this after he saw...

by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

Dear Friends and Family,

After my son saw (and fell in love with) my SBL XL Briefcase, He saw I was stalking Dave's Deals and saw this item....when another wallet went up on DD, I SNATCHED it up for myself. He told me which one he wanted and I thought I would wait but I didn't. I bought him one and he is never lost it thus far. He absolutely loves this ID wallet. And I love my wallet as well!!!

Musically yours,

Eddie in INDY

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A high quality minimal wallet

by Brandon Jasper - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

I changed to this wallet from a Slimmy. The construction alone shows quality. The Slimmy has a misaligned seam and the leather is paper thin with a cloth backing and has a chemical smell. The leather used in this product smells great and is thick enough to be sturdy without adding too much bulk. I've carried it over a month now and out of the many slim wallets I've tried this is the best.

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Just what I was looking for!

by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

I have searched for quite a bit of time for a solid leather wallet. After spending the better part of 15 years carrying much cheaper wallets I finally came across Saddleback. I Love the mobility and easy of the ID wallet. It is lightweight and compact. After only a week I'm already loving the look it is taking on. Thanks Dave you have a customer for a long time.

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Just what I was looking for!

by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

Dave I just want to send a personal thank you. This ID wallet is exactly what I was looking for. I have had many wallets and finally have found a minimalist solution in your product. This was my first purchase through Saddleback and will not be my last. I have been looking for something to give my groomsman for my wedding this October and have ordered 6 more of these for that very purpose. I know they will enjoy it as much as I do. Thanks!

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Nice and thin

by Steve - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

I wanted something tough that would hold up better and this looks like it. It's nice because it made me force down what I carry so I don't have the George Constanza wallet anymore. If I had to critque one thing I wish that it was about 1/4 inch deeper to hold the cash in a little more. Other than that I'll be back for more stuff in the future.

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Finally....the perfect wallet!!!!

by Jason - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

I have gone thru slim wallet after slim wallet trying to find the right combination of quality and capability. I finally found it with this wallet! It holds exactly the right amount of cards, some cash, a few extras like a security card, and yet remains slim. The quality of the leather is outstanding! And it smells real good too :) I carry it in my front pocket and it takes up hardly any space at all.

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Good for ladies, too!

by Phoebe - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

I'm a girl and I love this wallet! I don't know why this isn't on the womens product page.

My old wallet was big and I never took time to clean it out, making my purse really heavy. This wallet is minimalistic and forces me to only keep what I need.

It fits perfectly in my leather clutch purse.

I especially like the window for my ID. It makes showing my ID easy.

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Couldn't be happier

by Austin - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

My first SBL item. Received it and immediately fell in love. The smell, look and feel was more than I expected and I couldn't wait to start breaking it in and getting that patina going that I've heard about with the products.

As I was stretching the card pockets with a big stack of cards, I noticed a small rip in the front. The front pocket is a lot thinner than I hoped for. The rest of the pockets are lined with pigskin except the front card pocket and the id window. I contacted customer service and they immediately insisted on sending me a replacement with no questions asked in lightning speed. I couldn't pass it up and even had them throw in a simple wallet sleeve.

No issues with it now and its been getting better and better looking every day.

The one thing I wish was that the center pocket could hold paper money better. If you fold the bills in half it is hard to squeeze them in there. Not practical for me in day to day transactions at stores or elsewhere unless I want to hold up the line and look awkward. Since I don't carry much cash on me, this isn't a deal breaker at all.

Call it an obsession, but I cant wait to take it to work or put it through a days 'beating' to give it more character.

Will definitely be ordering more products. Customer service is the best I've encountered in any company especially and online one.

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Leather ID Wallet

by Brandon - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am

Awesome wallet! It's one of the best designs of any wallet I have ever owned or considered owning. I have purchased three so far....one for me and two for other people. Overall a great value!

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The best $33 you'll spend

by Abhimanyu - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

I bought a Dark Coffee Brown one and as soon as I opened the package, I knew I had bought premium quality leather. The SMELL! Such fine leather with an amazing thread-work, it made my older card wallet look like a rag. I could easily accommodate 6-7 cards, some cash and two ID cards in it. It is a little bit stiff now but I know it will loosen up with time and use. This is a great product and will make an amazing gift.

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Excellent Product!

by Mike D. - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

If you're wearing a suit to work everyday, this is the wallet for you. After going to two interviews with my travel wallet with built-in money clip magnet, I realized I'd need to get something much more slimmer if I wanted to keep my wallet on me. I found this little guy, and received it as a graduation gift. It fits the bill perfectly. Enough space to carry my license, AAA card, insurance card, debit card, credit card, and some cash. If I need something else (loyalty card) I just carry it in my pocket, or add a money clip if I know I'll need some more cash for the day. My only concern is whether I'll need this thing in 60 years if cash/cards are obsolete.

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great product

by al lalani - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

This product is amazing! Highly recommend it.

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Wonderful!

by Nathan - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

Wonderful wallet! At first I was worried that it wouldn't hold all my cards and cash, but it has stretched out nicely over the last 6 months. As most of you have already heard, the patina and scratches really add to the character of a SBL piece and the Dark Coffee Brown is no exception. My only complaint is that sometimes it can be difficult to get cash in and out if I have too many cards (10+). Other than that, it is a quality wallet that I don't have to worry about falling apart.

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Great

by Dave - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

Perfect for use if you don't want to bulk of a full wallet. However, you will not be able to keep a lot of cash in it unless you fold it up small.

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Perfect

by Trent - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

After a year of use, the leather has become so buttery soft. This is the perfect minimalist wallet.

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The one

by Warren - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

Ive been searching for the perfect wallet my entire wallet carrying career and I've finally found it with Saddlebacks id wallet. I hate bulk with a passion and have tried pretty much every "front pocket" wallet known to man. You name it, any brand, any cost....i've used it.

Im a month in now with this tobacco brown wallet and it just gets better and better. The leather is molding beautifully around my cards, and the color is gorgeous. No complaints, its perfect.

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Awesome product

by Steve - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am

I received this as a gift and love it so far. I haven't had it long enough to comment on the durability, but it does appear to be made incredibly well. Great product at a great price.

Natural Marking

We wanted to let you know that this was recently added to the cow hand hoof-book, in the section governing acceptable hides:

"...Saddleback Leather no longer discriminates against any cow on the basis of age, appearance, lactose intolerance...if the beast has a natural marking or brand, or whether or not they worship the Divine Bobine."

Truth is, sometimes beauty is only skin deep...like with cows. Their poetry is notoriously terrible, but man, their hides are nature's art. We don't believe that flawlessness equals beauty. Beauty is when we're able to see something as it really is. This is true with humans too. There are lots of quality people who are really beautiful not in spite of, but because of the marks life has given them.

Leather is special because it's durable, natural, and it tells a story about a cow's life. Maybe the leather in your bag was from a real Casanova. Maybe he got tipped a lot. Maybe the bulls really liked the way she moooved. We don't know for sure, but we want you to see those stories and add your own as you carry your bag around.

Just to be clear, some leather definitely does not make the cut, but a lot of what has been rejected in the past for being too naturally beautiful, will.

We cut the nasty looking marks out and throw them away and the cool or insignificant ones we leave. When you want to know what the story is behind one of the marks on your leather, look it up here.

Stretch Marks

Marbly lines generally regarded as not cool marks on mothers, unless the mother is a cow or pig and then they're more than cool.

Stretch marks appear when the animal grows quickly or gets really fat for a time in life for some reason.

Veins

The veins and stretch marks are what give the leather that cool marbled look.

Did you know that if they slaughter a cow in the winter in a place where it's really really cold, that it'll have more pronounced veins because the blood rises closer to the surface to keep them warm.

Wrinkles

Almost all thick leather wrinkles when it is bent back on itself. Kind of like when you squat down in a pair of leather shoes and wrinkles appear about 4" from the toe.

Insect Bites

These pesky insects don't leave cows alone either. Ticks, mosquitoes and other bug bites show themselves as a tiny black or white spot.

You ever see birds sitting on top of cows? They're filling their craws with these bugs.

Pores

It's common to see very fine holes on leather if you look closely. Cows have hair too and if it isn't completely removed in the initial tanning process then you'll see them.

Scars

Itching oneself against or running scared through barbed wire, mesquite bushes or cactus will cause long thin black lines. If the bulls liked the way the cow moooved, then she'll get hoof marks which are usually up to an inch wide and a few inches long.

The bigger scars happen when they got gored or kicked hard. Two small single black scars not far apart are often bat bites. Those are found on cows in more jungly areas.

Callouses

If a cow sleeps on it's right side for years or has a habit of rubbing one spot with his horns or any kind of regular friction in one place, you get a callous.

These markings are usually smooth, not raised, small and circular in shape.

Brands

The mark of a cow well loved. Brands can be shapes, letters and numbers. We only use the nice and smooth healed up ones.

In third world countries, some ranchers don't have enough money to buy a branding iron, so they heat up a piece of iron and draw a picture on the cow. Whatever's clever, right?

Which leather is better, the old or the new?

The "new" leather is the same quality as the "old" leather. We just stopped letting some of the cooler marks fall onto the cutting room floor.

Will the scars and marks hurt the construction?

Nope. Any mark or scar that is possibly weaker than other areas, we cut out and throw away.

Are the animals tortured before they are slaughtered?

Absolutely not!!! With some pigs, we do use waterboarding and sensory deprivation techniques previous to slaughtering them, but cows do not require any special handling.

What if I want a lot of marks?

If you don't get lots of marks, please don't return it in hopes of the next one having more. But hopefully, the Divine Bovine will smile upon you and you'll receive a bag that tells a cool story. If it doesn't have a lot of story on it, then you'll have to add your own by using it hard.

What if I don't want any marks?

Not all cows live hard lives and so not all hides have a lot of scars. If you order Carbon or Coffee, the thin or small scars won't stand out much. They show up nicely on Tobacco though. People who like the Chestnut color (red/brown) seem to like more perfect leather and we're very aware of that. It's not right or wrong; just a preference. Generally, we cut the big scars out of the chestnut leather, but there will always be a few here and there. If you get your bag and you really don't like it, send it back and we'll take care of you. We're not worried in the slightest. And remember, it's not the scars that make the bag, it's the bag. The marks just add to it.

Can I get Chestnut and Coffee with cool marks?

The amount of markings on Chestnut will be less than on other colors because we cut more of the bigger scars out of that leather. We know that, in general, Chestnut people aren't too big on large scars. Marks tend to blend in with the Coffee, but you'll still see them.

Are some scars more valuable, or sought after than others?

Yes. Absolutely! For example, most of our designs have pigskin interiors, which generally have a smooth matte quality. Often, these pieces will have a scrape or scar-type marking on it. These are, in fact, scars associated with the romantic life of the pig. More than most other animals, the pig is known for its violent mating behaviors and is aggressive, selfish and generally demeaning to its female partner. The male pig bites, scratches, gouges and anything else he can think of to have his way (in some rare cases pigs have been known to use other strategies, like cleaning the pigpen, bringing flowers, showing kindness to her relatives, etc,). Thus, many female pigs, at least the desirable ones, are pretty scarred-up. In the pig culture, this is a sign of status. The best hides for our purposes (i.e. creating the best leather bag possible) are the female hides because they are so much larger than the males and therefore we can get larger solid pieces (and girls just have better skin). Therefore, our pigskin will sometimes have various scarring patterns. We refer to these as 'love scars'.

How will this affect my warranty?

This won't have any effect on an existing warranty or a new warranty.

Why haven't you done this before?

Saddleback started and grew strong exactly because of allowing scars and marks and brands on our leather. It's what made us into who we are today. The marks became less and less frequent since the people cutting the leather didn't understand why anyone would want leather with imperfections. So, they thought they were helping us and and it just kind of stayed that way until now.

If you are using more of the leather per hide, will the price go down?

The marks and scars have always represented a very small amount of leather. And actually, the bags now may cost us more since the leather cutters spend extra time placing various scars and brands, which they didn't do before.

Can I see what it will look like before I buy it since this makes the leather so much different from bag to bag?

We have some pictures of the sorts of marks that might be on your bag, but we don't have shots of every piece. We wouldn't ever send out something that we wouldn't send to our own mom and dad. You'll love what you get.

Is this truly cooler leather or are you just trying to save some money on cheaper hides?

I'm pretty sure that if you ask anyone who's been watching Saddleback for any length of time, they'll tell you that we're not so much about the money as we are about creating things that bring people joy. It's art and it's quality and we just like it. It makes us happy. And don't forget, Saddleback has a steady history of constantly improving quality in design and materials. There have been several changes to designs that cost us more money to make, but that we did for no other reason than to raise the quality bar. It just seems like the right thing to do. So, to go against everything that we are known for, stand for and teach would be really inconsistent and pretty risky too. And the hides are the same expensive quality hides that we've used for years, but we're just not cutting out as many of the stories.

If this is so great--as you say--why are you the only ones doing this?

I suspect that other companies think that nobody would like it and they're not willing to take the risk to learn if it's true or not. Also, there are so many variables in the marks and scars on each hide that it's very difficult to teach a person which ones to cut out and which ones to leave. It could get very expensive if the cutters aren't trained well and they allowed some of those nasty looking lumpy scars onto the bags.

Can I still buy the old style if I just don't like this change?

Once we're out, we're out, but surely you'll be able to find some on eBay as people are wanting to sell theirs so they can buy one of these.

Will the colors be different?

Tobacco and Carbon are different, but Coffee and Chestnut are the same.

Is the leather going to feel different besides just looking different?

It's the same leather with a different look.

I bought a Tobacco bag 6 months ago but now I want this new Tobacco. Can I trade?

I would suggest that you either sell yours on eBay, which you may get more for, or you look into aging your bag more rapidly. Get on Youtube to see techniques on how to age leather. Remember you loved that bag enough to buy it. You may be pleasantly surprised. The only difference between this tobacco and our last tobacco is the amount of clear and natural oils and waxes on the hide.